Faythful Knells - Phantasy of Archangelus Musings
by Jun Yabriel
Summary: Another collection of drabbles, in honor of Int'l Fanworks Day 2015! Expanded view on the events in Sonic the Hedgehog: Phantasy of Archangelus, told from the perspectives of Sonic, Shadow, Silver, and other characters. Will feature the "Good" Alt.ED to the Last Story. A collection of 100-word ficlets. :Mephiblis/Solaris. Sonyuna. Silvenne (OC): "Grant them peace, My Triune."
1. Soul Mirror Revelations

**Musings One**

Soul Mirror Revelations

I have no idea where this is.

I remember fighting something. It looked horrifying. Gigantic fists, a faceless head, and six opalescent plates. I wasn't alone, either. Silver, Shadow—do you guys remember that? We were fighting a huge godlike thing—that spawned incomplete look-a-likes of us. Half-faced with hideous Yevon Script for eyes…?

But where are we, now? It doesn't feel remotely familiar—Wait, what's that, Shadow? You say we're in Zanarkand Dome? Where's that? Someplace important, Silver says. But how important?

Did it have anything to do with this fight? With this sympathy, compassion…this sadness that we feel?


	2. Soul Mirror Ascension

**Musings Two**

Soul Mirror Ascension

This sadness is strengthening us. I feel so compelled to help them, it's ridiculous. Apparently, they've been through a lot. We will never know or understand the extent, but that's okay. All Yuna is asking us to do is give them a chance to rest. Let them see, let them heal. Spira is the bane of their existence right now—and we're the only ones who can remedy that.

Yuna's calling us. I didn't think we were this far away from her. The others, even Eggman, are there. This is an odd rally.

But Solaris's sadness strengthens us even more.


	3. Splendent Gleam

**Musings Three**

Soul Mirror, Splendent Gleam

Oh my gosh! So much power is welling up inside me, it's almost freeing. My psychic powers have been amplified immensely, but I've also gained a proficiency in White Magic.

For a Guardian like me, my expertise was strongest in combat. I had to protect the High Summoner at all costs. This back-track through time has made me realize something very important: The bond between a Guardian, Summoner, and Aeon is eternal and transcendent. Which means, my love for Lady Lenne surpasses the boundaries of time.

I can feel Lady Lenne's presence within Lady Yuna. I am her Splendent Gleam.


	4. Gilt Patina

**Musings Four**

Soul Mirror, Gilt Patina

Impressive. My limiters haven't been removed, but my power is surging. Have my Chaos abilities been amplified, as well? New abilities are present, but they don't feel like they're mine. I seem to have gained the powers of two Aeons, specifically Valefor and Bahamut. Weapons of all calibers can be summoned; their signature moves, included. The input is as immense as the output, and that's remarkable in itself.

Oddly, conjuring their power feels reminiscent to preparing a Chaos move. That man…Maester Seymour. He held a mysterious air, even as Mephiles' puppet.

But Mephiles isn't his name. It was never his.


	5. Prismatic Luster

**Musings Five**

Soul Mirror, Prismatic Luster

Lady Yuna, is this the power you said they gave to you? I remember the Illumine being in and out of his mind when he killed me. He pleaded, then attacked me. He cried while laughing. It must've been painful, brutal to endure—but the promise still stands, and you're an amazing help.

I do love you. I really do. I think it has something to do with that transcendent bond you told our friends about. It's cool—makes me think, opens my mind up, and facilitates my drive.

To keep the promise. To save them. And grant them peace.


	6. The Island of Beginnings

**Musings Six**

The Island of Beginnings

I awoke on a shoreline. I'm in a daze, my attention swaying till it balances itself again.

An ocean, complete with a dazzling horizon, summertime heat, and even seagulls. Strangely, I don't feel uneasy. The water's the same as the one I know, on my home planet. Even so, how is it so different?

It is beautiful. That's no lie. There's a presence behind me.

I turn to see Yuna approaching. She's in her cool clothes, somehow. Ancient structures shadow her silhouette, but I can still see her. There's a mischievous smile on her face.

Weren't we just fighting something?


	7. Lady Yuna, Memory from the Heart

**Musings Seven**

Lady Yuna, Memory from the Heart

Whitewash falls. Cawing birds. Besaid reminds me of Kilika. That time before, with Yuna, too. She doesn't seem as crestfallen about it. I'm not as upset as I had been. Knowing that, I ask her, "Why didn't you tell me you were engaged, Yuna?"

She doesn't answer right away. Is she avoiding my question?

"Because I didn't want your feelings to betray you."

"Huh? My feelings…?"

"Would you have…freed yourself, if you'd known?"

She's talking strangely, all of a sudden.

"Would you've…defeated Solaris, if you did?"

"Yuna…what are you—?"

A sad mist had entered her eyes. "Defeated…those heartbroken souls?"


	8. Safer Haven

**Musings Eight**

Safer Haven

"Watch out!"

"We've got you!"

Strikingly gold shields take the brunt of Solaris's attack. As if acting independently from our wills, Gilt Patina hurls Shadow in front of me, while Splendent Gleam casts a healing spell Silver normally couldn't cast. I recover swiftly, due to such quick reaction time. Impeccable, no doubt about it.

But I'm brought back to reality. Cosmic forces are working against us with every turn of Solaris's Helios Disk. I can see the number "3," now; we're running out of time.

He's going to evolve soon. The cosmos is hauntingly beautiful from up here: Dream Zanarkand.


	9. Lost Temple of Forsaken Memories

**Musings Nine**

Lost Temple of Forsaken Memories

I don't know how I wound up here. I've awoken in a dark place. Water gnarls at my feet; tides swish in and out. Someone is whispering. Gaining the strength to stand, I follow the voice deeper into the vestibule.

A room opens up to me. Kelp adorns its entryway, while flecks of metal speckle it. The voice's owner is kneeling in the room's center. He's praying…?

"The Nadir Aeon, Anima, rests here," he tells me.

I assume he'd know, though: The Aeon's fayth is his mother.

Flowers are growing down here? Seymour…what connection have you to this world?


	10. Seymour Guado, Lost Love-in-the-Mist

**Musings Ten**

Seymour Guado, Lost Love-in-the-Mist

The Maester is the last of his kind. The Guado people, long extinct, bear a grade of bitterness for the man. A Halfling—in the most derogatory sense—he is also a Summoner, like Lady Yuna. His past is shrouded. His link to this world, just as unclear. He tells me he's an Unsent. He tells me that his love for Yuna and the desire to keep her safe kept him that way.

A forlorn look encapsulates all the emotion he couldn't show. "Yuna, my lost love-in-the-mist…be safe, be well, I'm sorry…Mother, help me."

His mother only dreams about him.


	11. Seymour Guado, His Illuminated Conduit

**Musings Eleven**

Seymour Guado, His Illuminated Conduit

Maester Seymour has suffered enough. The lost Baaj Temple sinks into unforgiving sand. I can't breathe; I cannot cry out. It's a bizarre sensation—water becoming sand. It chokes me, grainy and scratching my airways.

While taking me elsewhere.

I land in an enchanted, yet melancholy, place. The sky is bespangled with nebulae. Is that…a river spiraling across the night sky?

This place…How did I get here? Am I dreaming? But it's bone-chillingly cold…?

Seymour's staff is named Abraxas. It sounds like it's his Celestial Weapon. One that the Illumine gifted him for this specific occasion.

He had been "Illuminated."


	12. Safer Sentinel

**Musings Twelve**

Safer Sentinel

Blistering meteors assail me. I don't think I've felt anything hotter in my entire life. But Prismatic Luster jettisons Sonic into a counterattack, while Splendent Gleam tends to my wounds. Titian tides whirl around me; not too far away was the Eye's seal. Renewed and trapping us inside, it glows fiercely—vengefully.

What more could there be to this fight? An Aeonic god loses his mind over past events, and now he's hell-bent on destroying the world and nullifying all of existence. Even if it costs his own.

The Illumine's gone mad with heartbreak. It's all he can see, now.


	13. Home of the Hypocrites

**Musings Thirteen**

Home of the Hypocrites

Bevelle is more beautiful than I could've ever imagined. This is the Bevelle I want Lady Lenne to marvel again; the one I want to save.

After waking up on the Highbridge, I notice something odd: I can't sense anyone. Pyreflies have taken over the place. The temple deepens. I've never gone this far before. Much to my amazement, effigies of past High Summoners are here to welcome me. I count—Yunalesca, Gandof, Ohalland, Yocun, and—one's missing.

High Summoner Braska is waiting for me. His eyes are patient and kind. He tells me he wants to show me something…wonderful.


	14. Lord Braska, Harbinger of Sin

**Musings Fourteen**

Lord Braska, Harbinger of Sin

There, sleeping in an alcove of magic: The most beautiful flame I'd ever seen. Much further into the Bevelle Underground than I'd ever guessed. Via Infinito protects this flame, as well as other top-secret documentation. The Absolution Machina, Vegnagun, only rest a few floors up from Solaris.

Pyreflies flitter past. Vegnagun cannot see the bright magnificence. I shouldn't be seeing it. But Lord Braska insists.

"Great calamity shall befall this plane," he says to me without looking my way.

I hear forlornness in his voice. I feel it rattle my soul.

He challenges his better judgment. He is Sin's Harbinger.


	15. Lord Braska, Keeper of the Onus

**Musings Fifteen**

Lord Braska, Keeper of the Onus

Blood drooled over those crisp-blue eyes. For a human, his eyes are a profoundly deep blue. Endearing, but stern. Also, resolute. They are so much like Lady Lenne's; I can see the family resemblance very well.

Without this "fleshly mistake," I would never have met Lady Lenne. I am taken by the Sealing's whirling colors. The Carnal Fervor is extremely resistant, but it's all for naught. Lord Braska's final choice decided the future of not only his daughter, but Spira as a whole.

I've figured out who the true Iblis Trigger is. And now, I am sworn to protect her.


	16. Lord Braska, Inheritor of the Bond

**Musings Sixteen**

Lord Braska, Inheritor of the Transcendent Bond

Those final words from a father to his daughter strike my heart like a hammer to a bell. Bells that I'd never thought I'd hear. My Lady Lenne—my lovely Lady Lenne—is this the terrible fate you were birthed from? Did all High Summoners sacrifice themselves this way? Why must the way of the Summoner be so tragic, so sad?

Lord Braska had a Guardian he hated to sacrifice. He also had Aeons he'd bonded with. He'd become a widower, a father, and led a world all by himself.

He sounds like someone I've never met; history is repeating….


	17. Safer Aegis

**Musings Seventeen**

Safer Aegis

Frigid spears electrocute me. My life source cracks. Before I know it, Prismatic Luster and Gilt Patina have rushed to my aid. Shadow summons bastions for shields without uttering a spell; Sonic counters relentlessly, in efforts to keep me safe. Our bond has gotten much stronger since the battle started. Lady Yuna doesn't have to say much anymore. She's safe, too, along with our friends.

But soon, the final phase of this fight will begin. If history has truly repeated itself, then the present and future already know what's to follow.

Solaris's Helios Tablet has struck "0". My heart bends.


	18. Summoner Halma

**Musings Eighteen**

Perfect Soul Mirror: Summoner Halma

I'm somewhere in this mirror. This mirror, this person's soul. It feels familiar: Dutiful, protective, unreal in power. But I've never seen this Summoner, or anyone like him.

His mirror says he is Halma, a pilgrim from Kilika Island.

Much taller and older than I, we walk together along the Moonflow. Maritime flowers wave to our footfalls. His staff is shaped like the sun's summer rays. His eyes are sincere, with hair—flaming curls—framing his face.

He says something strange to me: "Please do not hurt us." He sounds so sad.

As if he's read my mind…the Flames appear.


	19. The Flames of Disaster

**Musings Nineteen**

Perfect Soul Mirror: The Flames of Disaster

The Flames: They burn away at my world—the world Lady Lenne worked so hard to revive—and Blaze and I are at our wits' end! I don't know what to do without her! We can't lose her—she's our only hope! Spira will remain this way if she dies, too!

Those words pour from my heart. But I couldn't sense anything in the demon's heart. Does he have one? Did he ever?

Lady Lenne did always look at him with perpetually dejected eyes…

Because she knew why he raged: She knew it was Summoner Halma, through their transcendent bond.


	20. The Carnal Fervor of Solaris

**Musings Twenty**

Perfect Soul Mirror: The Carnal Fervor of Solaris

Even now, he's raging. He's fighting us—almost barbarically. His fangs plunge into us. His fists batter us to pulp. Add fire magic, and he's grilling us flat.

The Illumine is an expert assist, but that brute strength alone is bad enough. My White Magic is struggling to keep up with the damage we've already sustained. Bruised and mangled, Sonic and Shadow rise from their knees.

We can sense impending doom from the Fervor. I'm sure there's no word in our language to describe how scorching his breaths are. That Yevon seal for a left eye: His roar is inhuman.


	21. Summoner Zelsuric

**Musings Twenty-One**

Perfect Soul Mirror: Summoner Zelsuric

I find myself in Macalania Woods. The trees and their fronds are iced. Butterflies float on a soundless breeze. Pyreflies, not too far off.

The Temple's Aeon is responsible for the forest's permanent condition; its high altitude gives it the appearance of an ice queen's palace.

A fellow Summoner resembles her in power and mystique. In fact, this Summoner comes to visit her often. He is beautiful, and he has a compelling cadence in his voice. He doesn't mind me watching him pray.

"Please help us," he tearfully whispers.

Suddenly, darkness swells. And he is cackling as he sheds more.


	22. Dark Halcyon

**Musings Twenty-Two**

Perfect Soul Mirror: Dark Halcyon

Seymour Guado reigned over Spira. He became the High Summoner of Bevelle, and became almost immortal. His body was not stable. His mind, even more than he knew.

Eventually, Seymour died. Allowing Dark Halcyon to set itself into motion with the illumination of High Summoner Lenne.

I've never met this woman before, but she is clearly beside herself. She's terrifying. Completely merciless. Sacrificing people en masse out of boredom. Her land shatters from within.

Just as the first High Summoner prophesied, Dark Halcyon would corrupt the world. Sins of all names wreak havoc. All to the Illumine's cruel, wicked baton.


	23. The Mystic Illumine of Solaris

**Musings Twenty-Three**

Perfect Soul Mirror: The Mystic Illumine of Solaris

A haunting rendition of the Song of Prayer courses about the battlefield. The Illumine's voice breaks as he sings. Black tears trail down his face. Blackening mythril gleams in a hideous aura. His Acumen ascends, dramatically flaring in a bat wing's shape.

Carnivorous vines lash out, thrash at us, and then tied us down. Unstable murk replaces each bind.

Four magical drills begin to spin. Hellish fire, tempestuous water, surging lightning, and heartless ice promise to destroy.

"Your resistance is pointless. There were never any chances of defeating us."

Faster. Deadlier.

"Now, begone."

So far removed from his inherent nature.


	24. Yuna's Voice

**Musings Twenty-Four**

Yuna's Voice

We've been beaten within an inch of our lives. Solaris, broken into two entities, is preparing to launch another attack—this time, together. Our wings shiver from exhaustion. Silver's magic reserves are wiped out, and so is Shadow. His shield crumbles. Our crystalline cores are flashing.

Clearly, we're really close to dying—again.

But then, Yuna speaks to us: _"Don't give up, my Triune. There is no shame in this battle. You are freeing them, with every word said and every blow dealt."_

It was true, too. I did feel the Fervor's desperation and the Illumine's fear…!

_"Don't stop fighting."_


	25. Seymour's Voice

**Musings Twenty-Five**

Seymour's Voice

_"Safer Endymion."_

The combination attack is stopped in its tracks. An all-encompassing spell annihilates it. When the haze clears, we see an unbelievable sight.

Lady Yuna and Maester Seymour, defending us—together—with a combined strength of their own. In a way, they are beautiful. Yuna's gown is flawless, and Seymour's robes have returned to normal. But where did they come from? And how did it happen?

Surely, it displeased the Solaris Counterparts.

It seems like it was a one-time deal, though, because Seymour is vanishing….

_"Just as Solaris himself instructed, you must deal the finishing blow…and grant him peace."_


	26. A Prayer from Spira

**Musings Twenty-Six**

A Prayer from Spira

United. Fearful. Desperate. But brimming with hope.

The Calm Lands are actually calm. No one speaks in ill will or despondence. Everyone's praying. Coming under a common understanding of the situation, and what's happening right now. Normally at odds the Al Bhed have ferried Summoners, from all over, there. Faith in vast numbers have assembled there.

Even Bevelle's Legendary Guardian is there.

"Grant them peace," he cheers us on. Blue eyes pierce through our doubt. "Grant them peace…and let them rest."

The baby in his arms has no idea what's going on. It's precious, in an odd sort of way.


	27. Willpower

**Musings Twenty-Seven**

Willpower

The haze is gone, and the real battle begins.

It's amazing, this feeling. By sheer fortitude alone, Shadow, Silver and I have replenished our strength. We're back in action! Revved up and ready to go!

My Black Magic attacks are astronomically strong, just enough to keep the Fervor occupied. Shadow and I double-team him, while Silver supports us from the rear. The Illumine's attempts to sever our connection keep my attention, so I'm letting Shadow handle the Fervor. Choice words are exchanged, but swiftly after, blows jar our mouths shut.

The Illumine's voice: "I _will not_ part from him again!"


	28. The Disastrous Future

**Musings Twenty-Eight**

Imperfect Soul Mirror: The Disastrous Future

We were all thrown into the distant future—the one I hail from. "This place again," Sonic mutters, while Shadow peers around for threats. Bevelle is still ravaged. Fire and brimstone define the landscape. It's a depressing and lightless sight.

"Welcome to my world," I say hopelessly.

"As well as mine."

To our surprise, the Mystic Illumine had appeared behind us. More to it, his back faces us.

Acumen flares. "Please find me, my belovéd." Tears race down his cheeks. "So I can hold you close, catch your tears, and keep you with me…"

He's crying, but where is Iblis?


	29. Hourglass Rift

**Musings Twenty-Nine**

Hourglass Rift

Acumen throws all of us into a wormhole. In the narrowest of an hourglass, we pass through time and space; in the strangest psychedelic way, clips of memory play before us. We're no longer together. Our Endymion Harness disappears. I end up somewhere away from both Shadow and Sonic.

As my brain struggles to keep up, keywords flash through my recollection.

"Bevelle"… "Onus"… "Braska"… "Final Aeon"… "Zanarkand"… "Yuna"… "Iblis"… Lenne"—!

"Lady Lenne!" I cry.

I've no balance. No sense of direction. Time has swallowed me whole. Just as abruptly, it spits me out.

My eyes wander. "Where am I?"


	30. Entering the City of Dying Dreams

**Musings Thirty**

Imperfect Fervor: Entering the City of Dying Dreams

This place is a ghost town. However, the pyreflies tell me this place is Zanarkand. Well, a Zanarkand from someone's memories. Why does it look so broken and forlorn? Does it have to do with the Machina War?

I never learned of such an event before. Recent encounters have pieced it into account. Why Zanarkand was destroyed, I don't know. A giant Yevon circle keeps me from leaving. My heart is put at ease when I see a familiar face.

A very familiar Lady Lenne.

"Please allay everyone's grief here," she tells me. Caressing her stomach.

…Its Sealing Glyph, glowing.


	31. Climbing the Tower of the Dead

**Musings Thirty-One**

Imperfect Fervor: Climbing the Tower of the Dead

Hellfire erupts from the Glyph. It engulfs Lady Lenne, and before I know it my body memorizes an unspeakable pain. Her hair vivifies, burning brightest copper, before turning to ash. Her body can no longer restrain the demon's power. He rises high above the city; Yu Yevon's "A" watches from on highest.

There's no time to think. Iblis is loose and must be contained again! Glowing tablets allow me to climb. My powers blocked, my body moves faster than my mind.

Each tablet glows at someone's back.

"No! My Lady!" I shriek.

Haphazard body parts—innumerable and frozen in time.


	32. Falling into the Nightmare

**Musings Thirty-Two**

Imperfect Fervor: Falling into the Nightmare

_"So much sadness…So much suffering, and pain."_

The air scalds me when Iblis exhales; my flesh could've easily seared.

His eyes blister me. I'm at a loss for words. My own eyes water from the death of my beautiful Lady Lenne. Overtaken by a snap of his fangs. Lava boils around the Tower's base, melting through its coating of souls. Pyreflies panic all around me. So many screams, so many pleas…

The beast's roar rattles my ears, my chest, and I lose hold. The city's dead. Lady Lenne is dead. The Tower collapses…and Iblis relinquishes tears of self-destroying anguish.

_"So…much…"_


	33. Barreling through the Sea of Sorrow

**Musings Thirty-Three**

Imperfect Lifestream: Barreling through the Sea of Sorrow

The fog is dense. The sea spawns tendrils as I make my way deeper. Some crystallize at my approach; more threaten me with spikes. Dodging, I hear someone's aggravation.

"Do—not—inter-ter—f-f-fere."

It's skipping like a cracked CD. But whose voice is that?

The water grows more dangerous with every duck and dodge, bob and weave. Can I find my way out _without_ being skewered, please? Somewhere down the line, I reach an opalescent core. More of the sea crystallizes. I'm in awe of its voice.

"Bego-one, interlo-o-per."

Broken speech? Adamant self-protection? A vengeful darkness?

"I wanna help you."


	34. Wading toward the Nucleus

**Musings Thirty-Four**

Imperfect Lifestream: Wading toward the Nucleus

The sea snaps at my ankles. I find myself relatively safe, despite the resistance. Beneath the core is an altar of sorts. The voice is the Nucleus.

And the Nucleus is Yu Yevon.

"Please, Yu Yevon," I beg, "Let me help you. I want to save Spira!"

"'Tis a fru-uitless des-s-ire. No more—than what that fool Braska-aska—wanted."

"But I'm not Braska; I'm Sonic…Sonic the Hedgehog. And my desire isn't coming from a selfish place. It did before, but…!" I grip my fists. "This is a fight for life! Everyone's lives—including yours!"

Nothing.

"Fool. I—am al-ready—gone."


	35. Drowning in the Nightmare

**Musings Thirty-Five**

Imperfect Lifestream: Drowning in the Nightmare

"No…Yu Yevon, wait!"

The sea sweeps me off my feet. Waterfalls attempt to traumatize me, but my body refuses. I fight the tides and whirls underneath. Yu Yevon says nothing to me. His own body—gone with the incorporeal. His mind—locked by tear-jerking memories and a solemn vow of protection and vengeance. His existence—trapped in a void.

But it's one that sings a perish song for Spira.

"You can-not deter-r—me from my sa-a-cred duty."

"Yu Yevon, let us save you! Please give us a chance—one more chance!"

"…I've—n-none left—to give."

His voice…it's so cold.


	36. Crying in the Garden of Pain

**Musings Thirty-Six**

Imperfect Illumine: Crying in the Garden of Pain

Mephiles' tears have soaked this garden full. Before turning into the heartless monstrosity I've come to know, Mephiles was really a benevolent, gracious Summoner from a thousand years ago. He tells me that he misses that era.

Of progress. Of peace. Of stability, not a speck of worldly worry.

He was especially fond of one Summoner—a strong-bodied Kilika native—whom he'd met more than once during his pilgrimage.

Mephiles tells me, heavy-hearted and sobbing, "My anxieties weaken when he's with me. My worries flee, and my heart warms. But now…"

He doesn't finish. He can't. Lotuses catch his teardrops.


	37. Mourning a Dream's End

**Musings Thirty-Seven**

Imperfect Illumine: Mourning a Dream's End

All hints of control suddenly snap apart. The lotuses bulge, trellising over my head. Unnatural vines weave into the soil. Thorns bind me, forcing me to kneel.

"I need him…give him back…!"

Mindless chanting. More lotuses blooms, only to spew clumps of pollen. They fall like crushed diamonds. The Garden disfigures, and I lose sight of Mephiles. I can hear him crying. Weeping. It doesn't stop. There's nothing I can do.

"I need him! Give him back!"

He's already so far gone. Trapped by a fear I somewhat understand. Lightning surges. In its flashes I watch him shed black tears.


	38. Drifting out of the Nightmare

**Musings Thirty-Eight**

Imperfect Illumine: Drifting out of the Nightmare

_"Shadow…"_

The thorns sting. They're alive, as if thirsting for blood. Warmth. Maybe empathy?

_"You do know this pain, don't you, Shadow?"_

Mephiles and I drift through a night without clouds. Stars, nebulae, and comets stream. However, a massive sigil burns in my line of sight. Mephiles has lost himself—inhuman eyes, hands, body, and voice.

_"You're doomed to feel this pain, Shadow. 'Tis a life __worse __than mine…!"_

His words petrify me. I can't look away. My heart pounds with uncertainty. The thorns pull me in closer…

The sigil welcomes me. But Mephiles…?

_"So, please…defeat us, Shadow. Save Spira."_


	39. Longing for a Dream

**Musings Thirty-Nine**

Longing for a Dream

Iblis's power has grown far beyond anyone's comprehension. He trudges through this melted world repeatedly, without a hint of awareness or care. Several times over, everything has been destroyed.

Expect for one place: Zanarkand.

Somehow, even outside his own sanity, Iblis never touches that place. He's always overlooked it…as if being steered away.

Mephiles, in his weakest state, shows us the Dome. An old home with fondest memories, he plays spheres of the past he shared with him. "Halma…please find me…Halma…"—his dearest lost love. He sobs as he watches them. Heartstrings are tugged.

He wants to dream with him.


	40. Send Us to Where Dreams Go to Die

**Musings Forty**

Send Us to Where Dreams Go to Die

Haunting cries echo throughout time. It began as the Song of Prayer, but twisted into inconsolable wails. Zanarkand's Summoners pled to stop dreaming. Yu Yevon demanded vengeance. Yunalesca and Zaon begged him to return with them. The Player, Shuyin and the Songstress, Lenne thought of nothing but each other.

Halma and Zelsuric wanted to protect their love, which spared the world.

Their lament rose in a dual tone: The Fervor roared, and the Illumine screamed.

_"We beseech you…release us from our suffering."_

The light has gone from their eyes. Sin has swallowed them whole.

_"You're the only ones who can."_


	41. Memory in Andante, I

**Musings Forty-One**

Memory in Andante: Gilt Patina, I

As I leave that cosmic ocean, streamlets of pyreflies course around me. Bemused, I let them lead me to a temple not too far off. They flitter about, then coalesce in front of me. Those gates are grand. They welcome the being flourishing before my very eyes.

It's Mephiles. He's Human.

He goes on, but I follow. Mythril glimmers quietly, but colorful beads clink like crystal bells. They cut a path in the darkness. Zanarkand Dome is an enigmatic place. Despite this, Mephiles maneuvers through it as if by muscle memory….

Is this it? Was it here where everything ended?


	42. Memory in Andante, II

**Musings Forty-Two**

Memory in Andante: Gilt Patina, II

The Zanarkand Dome bears a gaping hole in its ceiling. Pyreflies feign moving stars. Somehow, its glory claims me and I'm taken by the atmosphere. A certain gravitas holds my head down and draws out tears.

"This is indeed where everything ended…Stalwart Guardian."

My eyes turn to be Mephiles. Placid eyes look at me with the absent of malice or hostility. They're a glistening emerald; it's breathtaking.

"This is also where everything began. For Bevelle, for Spira, and the lives it cradled hereafter."

Beneath his feet are the Apocryphal Lovers' fayth. Lotuses flourish from coiled braids. Their fingertips barely touch.


	43. Memory in Allegro, I

**Musings Forty-Three**

Memory in Allegro: Splendent Gleam, I

The Tower I fell from is now a misshapen metal heap. Broken fayth cannot enunciate their pain. The Glyph far over my head has fled. Lilting psalms catch my attention.

The soil is barren. But soon, my eyes meet a pair of bandaged Human feet.

Whose feet? None other than Iblis's.

Unlike the gruesome monster I'd strived to defeat, this man is calm and has entrancing eyes. His sunlit staff bears a necklace of seashells. He scurries off, but knowingly; I give chase. Finally, I find he's led me to Zanarkand Dome.

And says, "Please, Psychic Guardian…we wish to rest."


	44. Memory in Allegro, II

**Musings Forty-Four**

Memory in Allegro: Splendent Gleam, II

We left the Tower to crumble. Iblis fled on flighty Human feet; he's so fast, so nimble, I vie to keep up. Passing underfoot are charred vines and leaves. The morning sun rose over our sprint. Rose-gold rays beckoned the new day.

"Wait! Please tell me," I blurt out without thinking, "where is Lady Lenne?"

Once we reach the Dome's inner sanctum, he replies, "At rest. She, and we, must rest, now." His clear emeralds pierce me with a soul-peeling truth. "We simply want to rest…."

My eyes well with tears. His fayth's touch is so close, yet yearningly far.


	45. Memory in Presto, I

**Musings Forty-Five**

Memory in Presto: Prismatic Luster, I

In their dream, Iblis and Mephiles hold each other so close. Swirling waves of light envelop them as the Hymn overtakes the Dome. It's really a sad sight—and it leaves them in a heartrending togetherness. Blossoming love tangles amidst a shared beginning.

_"You've had my heart since the beginning, Zelsuric…"_

—_"I made this for you, Halma…"_

—_"I will protect you, Fairest…"_

—_"Please don't let me go."_

It's as if their tears ferried me here: Water drips onto his face. My hand lifts toward the ceiling. It's been hollowed out; I can see the stars up there. They're watching me….


	46. Memory in Presto, II

**Musings Forty-Six**

Memory in Presto: Prismatic Luster, II

From where I stand, this is the first time in my life that I've seen night and day on opposite sides. Twilight, in a most unexpected form, guides me towards an oceanic blade. Colorful tassels sway in the quietude. I leave the pool to ascend the altar, and give the sword a good look.

A gentle voice soothes my heart, eases my mind. The blade glitters like merciful tears. Just like mine. But I bring it out, unyieldingly, knowing that my reason is just.

It's the only way…to grant them the peace they've dreamt about for over a thousand years.


	47. Sword of Light

**Musings Forty-Seven**

Sword of Light to the Armored Goddess

"Twelve-Gate Sealing!" Our cries ring across the heavens' void.

_A girl's cheer, an islander's howl…  
__A seafarer's acceptance, a priestess's tear…  
__A dragoon's glare, and a boy's nod…_

This power is immense. Our armor radiates.

_A mother's pain, a warrior's honor…  
__And three sisters' teamwork…_

Our Glyph is a hibiscus. "Final Glyph Gate—Lock!"

_A father's sin yields a daughter's wish to heal.  
__It puts a sanctum's souls to sleep.  
__And allows the High Priests to rest._

Our swords strike. "Dea Caliburnus!"

_To our Otherworld Guardians, thank you.  
__The Phantasy Knell has tolled at long last.  
__Finally, forgiveness.  
__Finally, salvation._


	48. Faythful Ending: High Summoner Yuna

**Musings Forty-Eight**

Faythful Ending: High Summoner Yuna

Perish Void has nullified. Solaris has calmed. Our friends are safe. Lady Yuna has returned with us.

After everyone registers what's transpired, all the world burst into cheer. We've saved this world: I'm always saving the world, so why does it feel brand-new? Why does it feel…even more rewarding than usual? Why are Amy, Tails, and Cream crying? I guess it was really scary. Even some of Yuna's friends had broken out into tears.

Speaking of Yuna, she looks different. And…she's lying on the floor? Who's that holding her so close…? He looks worried.

His eyes…they're so blue, it's heart-wrenching.


	49. Faythful Ending: The Sun Aeon

**Musings Forty-Nine**

Faythful Ending: The Sun Aeon, Solaris

Lady Yuna's hair has turned white—even down to her eyelashes. The young man holding her is the Legendary Guardian, Tidus. Sonic, Shadow, and I stay with her, unsure what to do ourselves. Our friends crowd around; Spira's citizens worry for her.

"She isn't opening her eyes," Lord Tidus says, but can't say why.

Iblis's Seal…It's missing. He's reunited with Mephiles; did she die, just as she'd been forewarned?

The world was ready to mourn her when an auroral light rained upon us. A heavenly pillar, a momentary flash, and a sacred Glyph shined on the floor.

Solaris has returned.


	50. Faythful Ending: Full-Life

**Musings Fifty**

Faythful Ending: Full-Life

A golden astrolabe crowns the Aeon's staff. Vines trellis across grand antlers. Majesty flows from his robes. The emerald-green sash identifies him as a summoner-Aeon. He's taken on a more Human shape, and has a beautifully cinnamon lion's mane. A nostalgic face, but his eyes are shut.

He waves his staff over Lady Yuna's body. Then, ends the figure eight over her stomach, where Iblis's Seal was. But a new one appears in its place.

"Return, High Summoner Yuna: Full-Life."

Magic infuses life. Chestnut strands return, and she opens her eyes.

Her arms go around the Legendary Guardian's neck…?

"Sonic?"


	51. Faythful ED: Legendary Guardian Tidus

**Musings Fifty-One**

Faythful Ending: Legendary Guardian Tidus

I'm crying…Why am I crying? Why am I sad? We just saved the world! I should be happy, right?

Yuna's eyes look at me gently. _Would I have fought if I'd known before?_

She takes both my hands and smiles. "I love you too, Sonic. And thank you." Her hands are warm again. Something feels…final…about this reunion.

The blue-eyed man kneels down next to her. He shows me a fist and says, "I'm in your debt, Sonic the Hedgehog." A cool wink, and we exchange fist-bumps. "Thanks, little man." Somehow, I'm heartened to smile.

But…how does he know my name?


	52. Faythful ED: Spira's Bundle of Joy

**Musings Fifty-Two**

Faythful Ending: Spira's Bundle of Joy

The transcendent bond between Aeon, Summoner, and Guardian stretches even further, now. A new future will be written. The Yevon teachings will become obsolete, but dearly treasured. Zanarkand will never be traipsed through again, for it is hallowed ground.

Bevelle's avenues and canals teem with cheers and jubilation. People are dancing in the streets. Children are playing. Grand Maester Yo Mika awaits the High Summoner's arrival.

This time, Lord Tidus is with her. The Lord and Lady have insured Spira's future. Because in their arms is their baby girl.

The baby is christened. But our presence has been requested elsewhere….


	53. Secret Ending: The Guardians' Choice

**Musings Fifty-Three**

Secret Ending: The Guardians' Choice

Past Mt. Gagazet's highest peak lies a lost Temple of Yevon. Farther than the Ronso settlement, the crystalline cave, and even the Fayth Scar is the most beautiful shrine. There, the Sun Aeon awaited for our collective reply.

_"Do you wish to stay or do you wish to return home?"_

Despite being distracted by Solaris's beauty, the three of us nodded to one another. Then, to Solaris.

A wave of his staff_—"Very well. I will grant your wish with utmost regard for your service to Spira."_—Then, nothing.

To think a tiny flame gave us so much trouble….

_"Farewell."_


	54. Secret Ending (Plus)

**Musings Fifty-Four**

Secret Ending+

Amy and Cream enjoy Luca's vibrant shops.  
Blaze pays her respects, while Silver chats with a parrot on Kilika.

The Chaotix didn't get lost in Thunder Plains, but in Guadosalam,  
Since every twist and turn looks the same.  
Rouge hunts in a cavern, but Shadow heeds the Calm Lands' breeze.

Tails could spend hours excavating Bikanel's wealthy expanses,  
Although Knuckles couldn't understand anything the Cactuar were saying.

Eggman's surely up to no good, but that's nothing new.  
Yuna and Tidus might have to suffer a headache or two.

On it! Sonic the Hedgehog's charging in at full-speed!

_"Thank you."_

_**Aht.**_


End file.
